Site near Axminster - 5 dwelling scheme

Key Skills: Outline Planning Application

Category: Revised Scheme

5 year housing land supply

LPA: East Devon District Council

The Project

Outline planning permission was secured at Committee for a five-dwelling scheme in the village of Smallridge, East Devon, subject to a Section 106 agreement in April 2026.

Despite the modest scale of development, the project presented a number of significant challenges, including nutrient neutrality, drainage constraints, a complex access arrangement and the need for extensive ecological survey work. The site was also located outside the defined development boundary in a village with limited services meaning that it was technically contrary to policy.

While the scheme attracted a high level of local opposition, a robust case was presented to the Committee, demonstrating that in the context of the Council’s housing land supply shortfall, the proposal represented sustainable development. The Planning Committee resolved to approve the application, recognising both the policy position and the merits of the scheme.